1. Field of the Disclosed Embodiments
This disclosure relates to systems and methods for employing a customer replaceable unit (CRU) to modify its own installation type when installed in an image forming device, including an image forming device operated under a managed service contract.
2. Related Art
Industries make extensive beneficial use of capabilities to track many characteristics that are associated with myriad CRUs in all manner devices and systems with which the CRUs are associated. Identification and monitoring of certain CRUs are functions that are often facilitated through the use of externally or remotely electronically-readable monitoring modules for identifying the CRUs and for monitoring one or more characteristics of the CRUs remotely. Monitored characteristics can include static information, i.e., information that does not change over the life of the CRU, such as a model or serial number and/or compatibility of the CRU with the system or device within which the CRU is installed. The monitoring module can also be used to record, in an electronically-readable format, dynamically changing information relating to a particular characteristic of the CRU. Such dynamic information includes, for example, information on use, maintenance, failures, diagnostics, remanufacture, and remaining service life, among other characteristics of the CRU. In the case of many devices, including and particularly managed devices that are operated by customers once they are fielded, information in and from the CRU is read by the customer's device and transmitted to a device or component manufacturer/supplier that is located remotely from the location in which the customer employs the device. Many industries have embraced the transition from local monitoring of CRUs via the electronically-readable monitoring modules to external and remote, particularly supplier-based or manufacturer-based, monitoring of CRUs at the customers' end-use sites. This change has allowed suppliers and manufacturers to independently monitor the status of CRUs for a number of reasons, including to facilitate correct billing and to attempt to avoid non-availability authorized and compatible CRUs at a point and time of need.
Examples of externally-monitorable systems or devices include various types of electronic office equipment, particularly image forming devices, such as those disclosed in, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,351,621 to Richards et al., which is commonly assigned and the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Richards discloses CRUs, which routinely include electronically-readable monitoring chips containing static information for identification of the CRUs, and/or dynamic information relating to CRU operating status. Richards refers to such electronically-readable monitoring chips as customer replaceable unit monitors (“CRUMs”). Richards explains that, when an individual CRU is installed in the disclosed modularly designed office equipment, a communication interface is established locally with the CRUM as a component status monitoring module located within, or externally mounted to, a particular CRU. The CRUM enables the office equipment to monitor a characteristic of the CRU by reading data from, and potentially updating the information contained by writing data to, the monitoring module.
In image forming devices, systems for communicating with and/or remotely diagnosing the status of widely-dispersed devices are as well-known as they are in other technology areas. The image forming devices communicate via any manner of wired or wireless communication links with network interfaces such as, for example, via telephone lines, local area networks, and/or the Internet, in order to provide, for example, a remote supplier or manufacturer service center with access to the image forming device in order to read status and/or diagnostic information produced by the image forming device and components installed therein. Remote and widely dispersed access is thus implemented such that an operator, supplier, manufacturer, diagnostic technician or other individual whose duties may require access to information regarding the status of the image forming device, or of any replaceable component operating within the image forming device, can review the information that they need and potentially organize responsive actions for system maintenance and/or error correction or avoidance.